circumftances are ftrong enough to bear a trial-and

Cec. A trial !

Gent. We have found many witneffefs to prove a number of particulars, and eight months fhare of luch an estate as this, is well worth a little trouble.

Cec. I am amazed, Sir, furely Mr. Egglefton never author. ized you to make ule of fuch language to me,

Gent. Mr. Eggleton, Madam, has behaved very honorably; tho he knew the whole affair, he fuppofed Mr. Delvill had good reasons for a fhort concealment, and expected every day when the matter would become public. He therefore did not interfere. But on hearing that Mr. Delvill had fet out for the continent, he was advised to claim his rights.

Cec. His claims, Sir, will doubtlefs be fatisfied without threatening or law fuits.

Gent. The truth is, Madam, Mr. Eggleton is a little embarraffed for want of fome money. This makes it a point with him, to have the affair fettled fpeedily, unless you chufe to compromife, by advancing a particular fum, till it fuits you to refund the whole that is due to him and quit the premifes.

Gec. Nothing, Sir, is due to him; at least nothing worth mentioning, I will enter into no terms; I have no compro mife to make. As to the premises, I will quit them as food as poffible.

Gent. You will do well, Madam, for the truth is, it will not be convenient for him to wait any longer. [Goes out.]

Cec. How weak and blind have I been, to form a fecret plaa of defrauding the heir to my uncle's eftate! I am betrayed→ and I defervi it. Never, never more will I difgrace myself by Luch an act,

Scene between CECILIA and HENRIETTA.

Cecilia. WHAT

WHAT is the matter with my dear Henrietta? Who is it that has already afflicted that kind heart, which I am now compelled to afflict for myself? Hen. No, Madam, not afflicted for you! it would be frange, if I was while I think as I now do.

Cec. I am glad you are not, for, was it poffible, I would give you nothing but pleafure and joy.

Hen. Hh, Madam, why will you fay fo, when you don't care at becomes of me! When you are going to call me off!-when you will foon be too happy to think of me more! Ces. If I am never happy till then, fad indeed will be my

life! no, my gentlest friend, you will always have your share in my heart; and to me would always have been the welcomeft gneft in my houfe, but for thofe unhappy circumftances which make our feparating inevitable.

Hen. Yet you fuffered me, Madam, to hear from any body that you was married and going away; and all the common fervants in the house knew it before me..

Cec. I am amazed! How and which way can they have heard it?

Hen. The man that went to Mr. Eggleston brought the first news of it, for he faid all the fervants there talked of nothing elfe, and that their mafter was to come and take poffeffion here next Thursday.

Cec. Yet you envy me, tho I am forced to leave my house! tho I am not provided with any other! and tho he for whom I relinquished it is far off, without the means of protecting ane, or the power of returning home.

Hen. But you are married to him, Madam!

Cec. True, my love, but I am also parted from him.

Hen. how differently, do the great think from the little! Was I married-and so married, I fhould want neither house por fine cloaths, nor riches, nor any thing-I fhould not care where I lived-Every place would be a paradife to me!

Cec. O, Henrietta! Should I ever repine at my fituation, I will call to mind this heroic declaration of yours, and blush for any own weakness,

Scene between Dr. LYSTER, Mr. DELVILL, Mr. MCRTIMER DELVILL and CECILIA his wife, and LADY HONORIA.

Y

Dr. Lyfter. My good friends, in the course of my long prac

tice, I have found it impoffible to study the human frame, without looking a little into the mind; and from all that I have yet been able to make out, either by obfervation, reflection or comparifen, it appears to me at this moment, that Mr. Mortimer Delvill has got the beft wife, and you, Sir, [to Mr. Del the moft faultlefs daughter-in-law, that any hufband or any father-in-law in the kingdom can have or defire. Lady Hon. When you say the left and most faultless, Dr. Lyf ter, you should always add, the rest of the company excepted. Dr. Lyf. Upon my word, I beg your Ladyfhip's pardon; but fometimes an unguarded warmth comes across a man that drives ceremony from his head and makes him speak truth be fore he well knows where he is.

Lady Hon. Oh terrible! this is finking deeper and deeper I had hopes the town air had taught you better things; but 1 find you have vifited Delvill caftle, till you are fit for no other place.

Del. [offended] Whoever, lady Honoria, is fit for Delvill caf. tle, must be fit for every other place; tho every other place may by no means be fit for him.

Lady Hon. O yes, Sir, every poffible place will be fit for him,if he can once bear with that. Don't you think fo, Dr. Lyfter? Dr. Lyf. Why, when a man has the honor to fee your La. dyfhip, he is apt to think too much of the perfon to care about the place.

Lady Hon. Come, I begin to have some hopes of you, for I fee, for a Doctor, you really have a very pretty notion of compliment. Only you have one great fault ftill; you look the whole time as if you faid it for a joke.

Dr. Lyf. Why, in fact, Madam, when a man has been a plain dealer both in word and look for fifty years, 'tis expecting too quick a reformation to demand ductility of voice and eye from him at a blow. However, give me a little time and a little encouragement, and with fuch a tutorefs, 'twill be hard, if I do not, in a few leffons, learn the right method of feafon. ing a fimper, and the newest fashion of twifting words from their meaning.

Lady Hon. But pray, Sir, always remember on these occa, fions to look ferious. Nothing fets off a compliment fo much as a long face. If you are tempted to an unfeasonable laugh, think of Delvill caftle; 'tis an expedient 1 commonly make ufe of myfelf, when I am afraid of being too frolickfome ;—and it always fucceeds, for the very thought of it gives me the head. ache in a moment. I wonder, Mr. Delvill, you keep your health fo good; after living in that horrible place fo long. I have expected to hear of your death at the end of every fum mer, and I affure you, I was once very near buying mourning.

Del. The eftate which defcends to a man from his anceftors, Lady Honoria, will feldom be apt to injure his health, if he is confcious of committing no mifdemeanor which has degraded

their memory,

Lady Hon. [in a low voice to Cecilia] How vaftly odious in this new father of yours! What could ever induce you to give up your charming estate for the fake of coming inte his

fuky old family? I would really advise you to have your marriage annulled. You know, you have only to take an oath that you were forcibly run away with; and as you are an heirefs and the Delvill's are all fo violent, it will eafily be believed. And then, as foon as you are at liberty, I would advise you to marry my little Lord Derford.

Gec. Would you only then have me regain my freedom in order to part with it?

Lady Hon. Certainly, for you can do nothing at all without being married. A fingle woman is a thousand times more fhackled than a wife; for he is accountable to every body and a wife you know has nothing to do but just to manage her husband.

Gec. Smiling.] And that you confider as a trifle!

Lady Hon. Yes, if you do but marry a man you don't care for. Cec. You are right then, indeed, to recommend to me my Lord Derford.

Lady Hon. O yes, he will make the prettieft husband in the world; you may fly about yourself as wild as a lark, and keep him the whole time as tame as a jack-daw. And tho he may complain of you to your friends, he will never have the courage to find fault to your face. But as to Mortimer, you will not be able to govern him as long as you live; for the moment you have put him upon the fret, you will fall into the dumps yourfelf, hold out your hand to him and lofing the opportunity of gaining fome material point, make up with him at the first foft word.

Cec. You think then the quarrel more amufing than the re collection?

Lady Hon. O, a thousand times! for while you are quarrel ing you may fay any thing, and demand any thing, but when you are reconciled, you ought to behave pretty, and feem contented.

Cec. If any gentleman has any pretenfions to your ladyfhip,' he must be made very happy indeed to hear your principles. Lady Hon. O, it would not fignify at all; for one's fathers and uncles and fuch people always make connexions for one; and not a foul thinks of our principles till they find them out by our conduct; and no body can poffibly find them out till we are married, for they give us no power before hand. The men know nothing of us in the world, while we are hole, but how we can dance a minuet or play a leffon upon the harps fichord.

T

4

Delu. And what elfe need a young lady of rank defire to be known for; your ladyfhip furely would not have her degrade herfelf by ftudying like an artift or profeffor.

Lady Hon. O, no, Sir, I would not have her ftudy at all; it's mighty well for children; but really after fixteen, and when one is come out, one has quite fatigue enough in dresfing and going to public places, and ordering new things, with, out all the torment of first and fecond pofition, and E upon the first line, and F upon the first space.

Del. But pardon me, madam, for hinting that a young lady of condition, who has a proper fenfe of her dignity, cannot be feen too rarely or known too little.

Lady Hon. Q, but I hate dignity! for it is the dullest thing in the world. I have always thought, Sir, it was owing to that you was fo little amufing-really I beg your pardon, I meant fo little talkative,'

Del. I can easily believe your ladyship spoke haftily; for it will hardly be fuppofed that a perfon of my family came into the world for the purpofe of amufing it."

Lady Hon. O, no, Sir, nobody, I am fure, ever knew you to have fuch a thought, [turning to Cecelia with a low voice.] You cannot imagine, my dear Mrs. Mortimer, how I deteft this old coufin of mine! Now, pray tell me honeftly, if you don't hate him yourself.

Cec. I hope, Madam to have no reason to hate him.

Lady Hon. La, how you are always upon your guard! If I were half as cautious, I fhould die of the vapors in a month the only thing that keeps me at all alive, is now and then ma king people angry; for the folks at our houfe let me go out fo feldom, and then fend me with fuch ftupid company, that giving them a little torment is really the only entertainment Į have. O-but I had almost forgot to tell you a moft delight. ful thing!

Cec. What is it?

Lady Hon. Why you muft know I have the greatest hopes in the world that my father will quarrel with old Mr. Delvill! Cec. And is that fuch a delightful thing?

Lady Hon. O yes: I have lived upon the very idea this fortnight; for then, you know, they'll both be in a paffion, and I fhall fee which of them looks the frightfuleft.

Mortimer Del. When lady Honoria talks afide, I always bet fomne mifchief.

Lady Hon. No, no, I was only congratulating Mrs, Morti,